Camp Whoopass
by padawanjinx
Summary: Xanatos is put in charge of a bunch of kids for a summer camp... can you say TROUBLE? Now completed!
1. Default Chapter

**Jedi Camp Whoopass**

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the Star Wars Uni, but if I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfics. EG

Special thanks to Meatball for talking me into writing this fic. Its not beta'ed, so you'll just have to overlook any discrepancies. :P

Summary: This is a throw together fic that I wrote by putting together a lot of other people stories and experiences from all the camps I have worked throughout the years. These are actual events, except for the killing and eating of an animal there was a mouse at girl scout camp that was killed, but to my knowledge, no one ate it.… LOL

So now we have this story…. Xani as a reluctant camp counselor. Put in charge of 14 children for a camping trip. He's upset, in a bad mood as always, and wants to make the trip so bad that the masters will NEVER ask him to go again. You will have to read to find out what all he does……. evil laughter as she types maniacally

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"Xani, get up. You're going to be late if you don't get up right now." Qui-Gon Jinn chastised his padawan, who was buried under a mountain of blankets

"So?" Came the sleepy, muffled reply. "I don't want to participate in the first place. If I'm late, they will leave without me."

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes, "You know that the masters need all the help they can get. Every padawan has had counseling duties at the camp. Its part of growing up and learning how to lead others, especially those that are underage and need guidance."

Xanantos mumbled and rolled over, pulling the blankets up over his head.

Every year it was tradition that the padawans at the temple go on a camping excursion with trail-masters and lead their own group of small initiates. The entourage would spend a week on a forested planet, learning basic survival skills, teamwork, important rules of the Code, and learn how to work together and function as a co-operative unit. Xanatos had avoided this appalling duty every year of his padawanship, that is, until recently, when he accidentally injured his master during a saber drill.

Because of Qui-Gon's injury, he and his apprentice had received time off, to which the trail-masters for the children camping trips took advantage of. Xanatos was served with a notice three days earlier, detailing his new assignment. He was put in charge of group 7, which consisted of 14 children, ranging from ages 4 to 11. He was their official 'Padawan Counselor'. The very mention of the title gave Xani nauseating turning in his stomach.

Xani detested children, Temple raised or not. He couldn't stand the petty bickering, annoying questions, childish behavior, or the way they seemingly heard EVERYTHING that was said, even those 'adult' things said in hushed voices. And Boy did the kids love to repeat their new favorite words over and over.

Xani cringed under the blankets at thought of being out in the wilderness, alone, with 14 children and no access to the technology of his liking. When he found out that holoprojectors and comm devices weren't allowed, he made up his mind to miss the transport taking the little deviants offworld, and thereby, saving his sanity.

After a few minutes of watching the mound of covers, Qui-Gon yanked back the blankets to expose his apprentice, curled up in a fetal position.

"Master!!!" Xani shouted, grabbing for the blankets to cover himself up again. "Leave me alone!" Xani struggled through half open sleep filled eyes. His black hair was chaotically ruffled, some of it sticking straight up on his head. He wore black silken pajamas, imprinted with some sort of mid-evil creature of some planets gothic lore.

"Get up right now, or I'll give you the official wake up call that you will most definitely get while at camp!" Qui-Gon snapped, though somewhat amused by his non-morning oriented padawan.

Xanatos sighed, pulling the blankets up over his body and nestling himself down once again among the soft fabric. He mumbled something that was incoherent to his master, and drifted off into sleep once again.

Qui-Gon grinned, then disappeared into the kitchen, and returned carrying a large bucket of cold water. He shook his head and chided, "Xanatos. Wake up and get ready to go to camp. Don't make me take drastic measures."

A muffled reply came, accompanied by shifting in the blankets and the beginnings of soft snoring.

Qui-Gon shrugged, then used the force to pull the blankets away from Xanatos' slumbering form and dumped the full bucket of water over his apprentice.

Xanatos flew from his bed, screaming and cursing at the cold intrusion that interrupted his sleep. Qui-Gon was leaning against the wall, laughing so hard his sides were beginning to hurt. Xani stared at his master, a look of NON-amusement etched his face.

"That was NOT funny!" Xani snapped coldly.

Qui-Gon straightened up from laughing and smothered the remaining chuckles and looked at his padawan, then burst out laughing again. Xanatos' hair on one side was plastered to the side of his face, while the other side stood straight up on end.

Qui-Gon giggled, "Its hysterical from where I stand."

Xanatos glared at his master, "What was that all about?"

"You better get used to it. At camp, it's the way people who sleep in get woke up. If you're not careful, you'll look like a drenched womprat every morning!" Qui-Gon broke out laughing again.

"That was mean master. Really mean. Just remember, I'll get you back for this. Just wait and see." Xani sneered, then turned and started towards his refresher. He peeled off his soaked sleep shirt and wrung it out, casting a dirty look at his master.

Qui-Gon snickered then left his padawan to shower and pack for his upcoming trip. Xani quickly dressed and packed a few things in his travel bag, which his master was thoughtful enough to lay out for him, as a gentle reminder.

After packing, the more awake padawan entered the common area and dumped his bag by the door and went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before his transport left.

Qui-Gon smiled when his padawan entered the kitchen, "Much better Xanatos. Now, you remember everything?"

"Yeah." Xani yawned. "I'm going for one week for punishment and I should return a shallow, hollow, empty person, with the new reduced IQ of a dinner roll. Then I will have completed this right of passage and join the ranks of the other lower rated, mindless, imbeciles that think that this camp thing is a good idea."

"My, my, my, aren't we negative?" Qui-Gon shook his head in disappointment. "For what its worth, I was a padawan counselor too, and I turned out just fine."

"Considering you just dumped cold water over your apprentice, you want to rethink that assessment?"

"It will be good experience for you. You will be in charge of young Jedi, and will guide them through learning experiences and will teach them important things they will need to know later on in life."

Xanatos rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, "Big deal. I'd rather stay here and finish watching that holonet saga and sleep in."

"I bet you will enjoy yourself. After you drop your macho persona and realize there is NO getting out of this and that it will be a fun experience."

"Whatever." Xanatos grumbled, then glanced at the chrono. "Well, I better get to the docking bay and meet the sith spawn I'll be in charge of."

"They aren't that bad Xani. Most of them are eager to be outdoors and away from the Temple. When I did it, my group was the smartest, quick witted, free thinkers of the entire camp. Every initiate enjoys the time off and behaves exceptionally well." Qui-Gon explained, then smiled at his fond memories.

"If you like it so much, then you can take my place."

"Sorry, can't do. But I will be thinking about you and all that fun you'll be having." Qui-Gon escorted his sluggish apprentice out the door and headed towards the docking area. "Perk up Xani. This will be a great experience to remember, and you'll have an opportunity to enjoy the Living Force out in the wild."

Xanatos yawned and growled, "So what. I can feel the Living Force without going out in the woods. I'd rather stay here and enjoy my time off."  


"Its only a week of your time. According to the healers, I have another month of rehabilitation. You'll get more time off to do what you want, but until then, you are required to help with Camp Whocca."

"Whocca? What a dumb name." Xani groaned and frowned as he saw his transport come into view.

Fourteen sets of eyes glanced eagerly around the terminal, then upon realizing that Xani was their guide, started to beam ear to ear and try to stand in a perfect line to show their readiness. Unfortunately for them, they were uncoordinated and fell over each other and knocked others down. A couple started to cry and whimper, then scramble to their feet to stand in a crooked, chaotic line.

Xani sighed and turned to his master, "This is going to be hell."

"Cheer up. They will relax once you are airborne. They are just nervous and want to make a good impression on their counselor."

"I wouldn't say it was a GOOD first impression." Xani mumbled, then stifled another yawn as he and his master approached the youths.

"Are you our counselor?" One of the small children asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately for me, Yes." Xani confirmed, then winced as 14 sets of arms vied for

position in a group hug. Xani frowned at his master and wriggled to get away from the children. "Ok, ok, ok, that's enough. Get off me."

The children stepped back and grabbed their small travel packs. They turned and looked expectantly at Xani for instructions.

Xanatos rolled his eyes, "Get on board and try not to make yourselves look like clumsy banthas."

The children squealed in delight as they boarded the transport. Qui-Gon gave Xani a hard _thump_ on his arm. 

Xani glared at his master, "What was that for?" He rubbed his arm where he suspected a bruise would appear.

"Don't be mean to them Xani. They are just kids. You were once like that too, you know? Just remember, all that negativity will come back to you in one form or another."

Xani sighed in defeat and bowed shortly, "Goodbye master. I shall endure my prison sentence and return to you in great need of therapy. Please alert the healers to prepare for the worst."

Qui-Gon laughed and gave his apprentice a quick hug. "Just remember, they are just kids and will need you to guide them."

Xani nodded then boarded his transport. Qui-Gon smiled and waved heartily at the little faces pressed against the glass and grinning enthusiastically. Some waved back, others just smiled widely, except for one small human boy in the back of the transport. His face was saddened, with a look like he was about to break down and cry. Qui-Gon bit his lip in apprehension, knowing that there will be tension between the kid and his reluctant padawan.

Xani introduced himself and explained that they were leaving the Temple for a week and helped the pilot secure the children to their seats, then Xani found a comfortable spot and curled up. The flight to Delv 6 was rather short, at least Xani thought so when he woke up. He stretched, glanced over at his new charges and seen them practically awed by the site of the stars zipping by and the planet quickly approaching. He smiled somewhat, remembering he enjoyed the same scene on his trips throughout the galaxy, but admitted, after a while, the view becomes old and monotonous.

He noticed one small human boy in the back, sitting quietly with his hands folded in his lap, staring at the floor. Xanatos felt the docking clamps engage and ordered for the kids to disembark. The children complied, and to Xani's surprised, didn't fumble all over each other.

He waited until the end of the line to leave, when he noticed the small human in the back still sitting in his seat, still staring at the floor. Xani walked over and tapped the youngster on the shoulder, "What's wrong kid?"

"Why did they send me away?" Came a soft voice barely over a whisper.

"Everyone has to come to this stupid camp, even me. Don't feel bad. I don't like it here either."

"I like it here, but I just don't understand why the Temple sent me away. Are they mad at me?" Teary blue eyes looked up pleadingly at Xani.

"They didn't send you away little boy. They just want all the initiates to get used to being away from the Temple and learn new things to get you ready for when a master takes you as an apprentice. Then when you get to be a padawan, you'll have to come here and be a counselor to the kids, just like what I'm doing. So, you see, its not that the Temple doesn't want you, its just that they want you to learn other things and allows us padawans a chance to teach."

The little boy sniffled, then creased his brow, "Really?"

"Yup." Xani smiled and shook his head.

"Then why did you look so unhappy when you got on board?"

"I'm just not a morning person and I wanted to sleep in. My master had other plans, as you can tell." Xani pursed his lips together and sighed.

"He looks nice, but I would be afraid of him. He's _soooo_ big!" The little boys eyes widened as he exclaimed.

"He's really very gentle. He's a great Jedi and the best swordsman in the temple."  


"Really? WOW!"

"Yeah. Maybe when we get back to the temple, I'll introduce you to him." Xani grinned.

"Promise he won't scare me?"

"I promise. What's your name so I can give you a proper introduction?"

"Oben Wan"

Xani frowned then asked, "Can I call you Ben?"

Ben grinned and eagerly shook his head. "Oh yes!"

"Ok Ben, let's get off this transport, we have to make sure everyone is still with us and to get to the camp."

The pair headed off the ship and after a head count, Xani found the large hovercar that was to take the group to their assigned camping area. A guide showed them their transportation and pointed in the direction the camp lay, hidden deep in a valley that was canopied by giant trees.

Xani secured all his kids into seat harnesses and then strapped himself in place and took out over the terrain that lead to their camp. He began to hum as he drove, and soon had a whole chorus of backup singers, most of them tone deaf. Xani interrupted their singing and gave them quick instructions on how to listen and what pitch to use. Soon everyone in the hovercar was singing in a fairly decent manner, bending pitches, alternating their voices and some rearranging their voices from deep to high pitches. Xani was very pleased with the way his group learned, and began to smile to himself. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad afterall.

A large wooden carved archway greeted the campers. Xani stopped and stared a couple of seconds at the strange sign that was painted off to the side. In large, red letters, you could see where "Camp Whocca" was written, but over the years, other campers had defaced the sign to make it now read, "Camp Whoopass". Xani giggled, then heard the kids in the hovercar reading the sign and repeating the name over and over.

"Whoopass! Whoopass! Whoopass! Who are we? The Whoopasses!" The children chanted.

Xani gulped and corrected them, "Its Whocca. Pronounce it correctly."

"But it says "Whoopass"." One of the kids exclaimed.

Xani thought for a moment, then thought it was a great way to get back at everyone who forced him to come along on this excursion. "Ok, you can call it 'Whoopass', but don't say it around anyone else, OK? Wait until we get back to the Temple."

"Yes Sir." The children chided together.

Xanatos stopped the hovercar and asked where his sleeping quarters were. A ground guide showed him a double layered cabin an explained, "That unit is yours. You have the downstairs to yourself, and the upstairs are bunks for the kids. When you hear the chime of the bells, it signals when the meals are. You are responsible for teaching your group all about survival and the Code. There is a handbook on your desk in your cabin. Please read over it and schedule your kids accordingly."

Xani frowned, "I don't get my own cabin?"

"Afraid not. There are small children on their first camping trip and we like to have their counselor close by, in case of an emergency. You do get your own sleeping area, and don't have to bunk with the children." The guide perked up in a happy tone.

"Oh, lovely." Xani mumbled. "Thank you for your help." Xani nodded then proceeded to the cabin assigned to his group. He helped the children unload their packs and reluctantly opened the door to their cabin.

Xani cringed at the site of it. There were sheets covering the furniture, dust on the floor, a small sleep couch in the corner, a small kitchenette off to the side, a refresher on the opposite side, and a set of steps which led up to the children's bunks. Xani groaned and mentally cursed his master for making him come here.

"Now what Xanatos?" One of the kids asked.

"Now, we make this place livable. Put your packs upstairs then come down here and help me clean. Then we will go upstairs and clean up your sleeping areas." Xanatos ordered and dumped his pack on the small sleep couch.

The children were happy to comply and ran back downstairs to help their grumbling counselor clean up their cabin. After a couple of hours, the cabin looked decent, much to Xani's surprise. Everything was dusted, washed, and placed in a proper place. The sheets that covered the furniture were piled in a corner, ready to go to the laundry.

"Great job everyone!" Xani exclaimed, after stocking the refrigerator with junk food that he had brought with him.

Ben brought Xani a small handbook and grinned, "I think this is the guide that we are supposed to use."

Xani leaped through the pages, scanning them quickly and assessing what was detailed. He frowned at some of the activities and teaching guidelines. Some of the rules were stupid, at least Xani thought so. He reread a couple of pages and shook his head, 'I don't think so. I think we'll wing it. How does that sound everyone?" He looked up to the expectant faces of 14 kids.

They are cheered, "Oh yes! Sounds fun!"

Ben looked uncertain and asked in a low voice, "Will we get into trouble?"

Xanatos looked thoughtful for a moment, then responded, "I don't think so. How much trouble could it cause anyway?"


	2. Camp Whoopass Chapter 2

"I don't know about this." Little Ben sighed as he leapt through the pages after Xani put down the manual. "It says here that you are to teach us how to survive out in the wilderness with only your instincts and the force to help you. Have you ever done this before?"

Xani cleared his throat and shook his head, "No. I was brought to the temple at a later age, so I had to stay and catch up on developing my force abilities while everyone else got to come camping."

"So you've never been out in the woods?"

"I have been during missions. It couldn't be _that_ much different."

Ben frowned the returned his attention back to the manual. "It says here that you have to write down a schedule for us to keep, turn it in to the grounds master, and then keep a record of how well we do for each event. We are supposed to have all things accomplished by the end of the week."

Xani grabbed the book and looked at the list, dread started to weigh heavily on his chest. _Camping. Tent preparations. Food preparation. Plant identification. Memorization of the beginnings of the Code. Sing-along time. Bonding by the campfire. Exercises on team work and cooperation. Evaluation of each child's strengths and weaknesses. Water, ground, and all around safety procedures._

"What's wrong?" A small Calamarian asked. 

"We just have so much to do. I'll have to write down everything we are going to do, and maybe we can cut our time in half by doing several activities at once. Then we can have more free time and we'll still get credit for it." Xani smiled to reassure everyone that was now staring at him.

Everyone looked at one another, then back to Xanatos, who was flashing a brilliant, reassuring smile, then nodded in agreement. Several of the children ran upstairs, giggling and teasing each other, others bolted out the door to rough-house in the yard. Xani called for them to return, but after several minutes, he realized they were playing and refused to come back and help him plan. He sighed, grabbed a small pad and wrote down each day and listed the activities he would have his kids to finish.

After a few minutes, his list was complete. The first thing they were to learn was about camping, how to take apart and resemble their tents, how to identify food in the wild, build a campfire, cook out doors. Xani also added the bonding activity and the sing-along, hoping that he could eliminate a lot the activities that were necessary for them to complete.

Xani went outside to the playing children and told them of their first camp activity. They looked depressed, but nonetheless, followed Xani back inside to get out their survival gear to head out.

Xani asked where everyone stowed their gear for the camping, then everyone realized they didn't pack any tents. Xanatos fumed and started swearing at the absolute stupidity of the camp master. One of the kids frowned and started looking around, eventually opening the closet and found 3, well kept, packed neatly, tents.

"Xanatos, there are some tents here in the closet."

Xanatos looked startled, then perked up, "Great! Let's get them packed up with some supplies and we'll get started on our camping excursion."

Everyone packed some water, cleanser wipes, a change of clothes, and brought a small blanket that was provided on the sleepcouches. The two elder children in the group, both 11, earned the responsibility of carrying the tents. Xanatos grabbed a few ration bars, a few blankets, and filled his canteen up with fresh water and started out to find a suitable place to set up camp.

Xanatos' long legs carried him easily over the terrain, but the smaller kids with short legs and limited energy, began to whine and cry that they were tired and needed a break. Xanatos reluctantly agreed, sitting his pack down and surveying the area. It would be dark soon, the sun was already starting its decent behind the thick veil of trees.

"Let's camp here. I get the big tent, the rest of you pile in the other two." Xanatos said, unpacking the tents from the kids that were burdened. "Get your tents set up as soon as possible so we can find some firewood and look for anything that is edible."

The children began to protest, but helped pull out the tents and assemble the many poles and cables. Several times, someone was heard yelling that their tent was defective because they only got a few short poles and no longer ones. Others complained that their tent was lopsided, having too much slack on one side and drooping down on the ground.

Xani quickly erected his tent, which could have easily slept half the group comfortably. He unpacked his blankets and made sure that his hidden stash of sweets was well hidden from possible young eyes that sweets seem to attract. He made himself a comfortable bed, fluffed his pillow that he hidden away in his bag, and stood, stretched, and wondered if his kids were finished yet.

Xani stepped outside to the view of a distorted mountain range of lopsided peaks of the tents. One stuck straight up in the air, approximately 6 meters, while the other side was collapsed and getting dirt all over the canvas.

The other tent was more level, but the middle sagged down, creating a donut shape. Kids ran to and fro around the tents, the material bumping and swishing as someone leaned into it, creating a strange kind of silhouetted puppet show.

Xani shook his head and headed over to a tent, barking out instructions and helping the children assigned to that tent. After nearly an hour of frustration and ill-feelings towards other sentient beings, Xani went to the other tent, going through the whole process over again.

After threatening half the children, screaming at others, and secretly inventing ways of torture and dismemberment of his new charges when his patience had run out, Xani helped the younger children prepare their tent for the night. Frustrated, Xani finished up with the last tent and ordered all the kids to collect as much firewood as they could find. The sun was setting low on the horizon and the light was beginning to fade, giving way to the darkness.

Xanatos heard the kids scamper off into the forest, some squealing as they found branches and twigs to begin their fire. With a heavy sigh, Xani retreated to his tent, wanting nothing more than to lay down for a bit and maybe open up a small pack of sweets he brought along.

Xani let out a howl of rage as he viewed his thrashed tent. His bed was upheaveled, blankets thrown about, empty food wrappers strewn about the floor, dirt tracked all over the bed area and his spare rations were gone. Xani let loose a barrage of curses, screams, and his mind reeled with possible revenge strategies. 

He stormed outside his tent, eyes flashing dangerously, fists clenched, anger raging through his body. He saw a few of the children emerging from the trees, bounding out with their arms full of sticks and twigs.

The children emerged one at a time, carrying various amounts of firewood and kindling. They made a huge pile and the older children began to build up a fire pit, surrounding it by stone to prevent the fire from escaping.

Xanatos glared at the children, grinding his teeth in agitation. He couldn't believe his master thought this outing would be fun. Once again, his master had been wrong. Wrong and foolish to believe anything good could come out of this.

The children yelled over at Xani, telling him that they didn't have anything to light the fire with.

Xani yelled, "Deal with it!"

"But, we're cold! We can't start the fire. You have to do it. You are the grown up."

"You can freeze to death for all I care!" Xani spat then retreated into his tent to clean up the mess that was made.

The children looked at one another, some starting to cry, others already shivering in the cool air that was following the setting of the sun.

After Xani had straightened his tent up once more, he went outside to check on the progress of the children. To his disappointment, the children were huddled together in the darkened night, trying to keep warm. The firepit was loaded with firewood, sitting there, waiting for a flame to ignite it and make the surrounding area a bit warmer and illuminated.

Xani sighed, knowing he should allow this to be a lesson, but he caved in when he heard whimpering and teeth starting to chatter. He closed his eyes, reached out his hand and focused on the force, calling to it and bending it at his will. The pit erupted in flames, shooting up several meters and giving out welcoming warmth.

The children roared with excitement, some running over and hugging Xani in happiness. They cheered and began to run around the fire. Some of the smaller children sat close by the fire, trying desperately to warm up. The bigger kids bombarded him with questions on how he was able to start the fire with the force.

Xani explained how to use the force to bend objects to your will, making them ignite, turn gelatinous, solidify, or disburse. Soon, every one in his group was surrounding him, listening intently.

"I'm hungry." Someone said when Xani finished with his force lecture.

"You shouldn't be. You ate all my snacks and rations." Xani snapped sarcastically.

"I didn't eat them. I was with you putting up the tent." The child chided back.

Xani thought for a moment, then remembered that the child spoke the truth. He had been with Xani the whole time. He frowned, then returned his attention back the 14 whining children complaining about having empty tummies.

"There should be some berries around here, and maybe we could kill an animal and eat it." Xani offered.

"Ewwww! Gross!" The kids curled up their noses at the mention of eating an animal.

"Its not gross. I"ve done it several times on missions." Xani's brown drew down in disapproval. "Keep the fire going while I go look for berries or a wild animal. Keep the noise level down and don't do anything stupid!"

The children acknowledged their orders and huddled around the fire once again to await Xani's return.

Xani sighed and used the force to find a large berry patch. With little effort, he had the berries disengaging from their vines and landing in Xani's outstretched shirt. After a few waves of his hand, Xani had his shirt filled to the brim with ripe berries.

__

I wonder if these are edible? Xani wondered. Then with a shrug, made his way back to the camp. _ Maybe if I make them sick the masters won't make me do this stupid excursion anymore._

Xani emerged from the darkness, shirt loaded with berries and was immediately converged upon by 14 starving children. They frantically grabbed the berries, stuffing their faces and thanking Xani for finding something to eat.

Xani loved the praise and kept reminding the kids that _HE_ was the one that found the berries and prevented them from starving.

After the children had ate their fill, they gathered around the fire to sing songs. Xani instructed the older children to teach the smaller ones the beginnings of the Code, and use it in songs to help them remember. After they had got started, Xani retreated into the forest again to search for a wild animal to eat. He didn't want to chance those berries, but animals, he knew quiet well and liked to eat meat instead of berries.

Finding a small place to crouch down, Xani waited for an animal to come by. Sure enough, after a few minutes, a small furry creature sauntered past. With lightning speed, Xani reached out, grabbing the animals neck, and snapped it with one simple twist.

He carried the animal back to the camp and quickly cleaned it up, to much gross out noises by the watching children and cooked it over the open flame. As he began to eat, he asked the kids how much of the Code they remembered. They began to sing the verses, reciting the Code to the letter.

Xani applauded loudly, impressed his kids could learn things that fast. He quickly ate, and discarded the remains a good distance away, not wanting to attract unwanted attention from the local wildlife.

The kids asked what was on the agenda next, their restlessness starting to show and their eyes beginning to droop down with exhaustion. Some were already dosing by the fire.

Xani told them that they could have story time, if they wanted. They all agreed so Xani pointed to one kid and asked her to start the story. She started out with a cute story about a baby bantha, then Xani pointed to another kid, who picked up where the last one left off.

Soon a long story was being told, all children being the author for a short time, then passing on the story to someone else. Xani liked the idea that they were learning co-operation with one another and looked forward to see where the story was going to head next.

Ben spoke up, interrupting the groups story, "Xanatos hasn't had a turn. Let him finish it!"

The kids cheered and agreed, looking at Xani to continue. Xani sighed, then remembered the eaten treats and trashed tent and grinned evilly as he began to talk about a creature that stalked the forest at night, stealing children away and eating them piece by piece. By the end of the story, the kids eyes were wide, some were huddled together softly whimpering.

Xani grinned again, and ordered everyone to bed. Some of the kids commented that it would be hard to fit in their tents, considering there was two tents and 14 children. Xani told them that they could easily sleep out under the stars, to which he was answered by the children rushing into the tents with no complaints. Xani smiled to himself for a job well done.

As Xani settled down onto his bed, he heard a soft rasp at his tent entrance, followed by whispering, "Can I sleep with you?"

"NO!" Xani barked, then rolled over and fell asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING

Xani began to stir, feeling very stiff and sore, and an odd feeling all over his body. He shifted slightly, heard a muffled voice, then felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Xani's eyes flew open and realized his situation.

All 14 children were piled on top of each other, himself included. His leg was bent funny, with three kids sound asleep, holding it in place. His other leg was used by a pillow by two others, who in turn, were used as pillows by another. Xani felt a child against his shoulder, with another one stretched across, resting their head on his shoulder.

Xani groaned as he tried to turn, only to feel another kid nestle their head against him and a child shift on top of his chest. He closed his eyes, knowing that this was his punishment for telling that scary story last night before bed.

Suddenly Xani's eyes flew open in surprise and he growled loud enough to wake everyone up. The children awoke, startled and scrambling to get out of the tent. Xani peeled the sleeping child off his chest and stood up, anger seeping through him, along with the wet spot on his clothes.

He peeled off his soaked shirt and threw it in the corner, then snarled at the smell still in his clothes and skin. The child that had been sleeping on his chest looked at him with large watery eyes, apologizing over and over. Xani didn't say a word, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he would regret what would come out of it.

He stalked out of the tent, handful of clothes in tow, and used the force to find a large enough area to have a quick bath. The force alerted him to a spot 25 meters away from the camp, the pool as deep as Xani's waist.

Xani immersed himself completely in the water, hoping to get his favorite sleeping pants clean to where he wouldn't have to throw them away. As he was running his hands over his chest, he felt something odd. He looked down and seen large red welts covering his chest, stomach, and upon further inspection, his back.

Xani frowned at the situation, mentally going through the list of things he was allergic too, and finding none that he had contact with, shrugged his shoulders in surrender.

After a brief bath, he toweled himself off and changed into the clothes he brought with him, then felt an itching sensation around his waist, where his pants were rubbing up against the welts. Realizing his pants were irritating his allergy, he pulled them down slightly off his hips, then pulled his shirt down and started back towards the camp.

Xani entered the camp area and found all 14 children standing, panic in their eyes, legs crossed, hopping on one foot then the other.

"Let me guess." Xani started, casting his eyes skyward in an attempt to calm himself. "You have to go to the bathroom?"

All the children shook their heads yes, continuing their bathroom dancing. 

Xani sighed, knowing he had to go too, and ordered every one to space out surrounding the camp, the older children going a little further away, while the younger children stayed close by. They all agreed and shot out throughout the forest, making sure they knew which direction to go when they were finished.

Xani took his own leave and found a tree that was surrounded by pretty purple leafed shrubs. 

When he returned, he found the children waiting for him, their faces expectant.

"Now what are we going to do?" 

Xani thought for a moment, then remembered the small water hole he bathed in. "How about some water safety rules?"

The kids cheered, scurrying to find their packs to quickly change into swim suits. Boys changed in one tent, girls in the other. They grabbed a change of clothes and followed Xani to the water hole.

Xani scratched at his chest all afternoon while supervising and instructing the kids on water safety, stressing the important rules of no swimming alone and always staying where you can touch if you don't know how to swim.

The children listened well, and splashed about in the water for most of the day, taking a break once to eat the berries Xani found.

The afternoon sun was starting its decent into night as Xani called the children out of the water to dry off so they could change into their clothes. Xani used a spare blanket to towel off the kids, then held it up so the kid could change clothes behind it.

When all the children was dry and dressed, Xani started them off in the forest, pointing to plants, tracks, and asking the children questions about the local flora and fauna. Most of the children didn't have a clue to what the plants and animals were like, and listened as Xani told about the things he knew about the planet.

A two hour hike around the camp ground made several of the smaller children exhausted. They cried about how their legs hurt and were carried back to camp by the older children. The kids flopped down on the ground, too tired to even whine about being hungry, but Xani was already ahead of them.

Xani had grabbed a few roots that were uncovered from an animal and found another berry patch. Grabbing a small pot and throwing the roots into it, Xani used the force to extract some water from the swimming place and fill the pot to make a soup.

When a decent fire was built and the children were huddled around it, Xani went back to the berry patch and filled his shirt. The children used their small eating travel packs and filled their small bowls and ate a handful of berries.

Xanatos ate quietly by himself in the entrance to his tent. He watched as one by one, the kids fell asleep around the camp fire. Xani smiled, using the force to give each child a deep sleep force suggestion and carried each little body to a tent and put them to bed.

Xani found himself smiling as he tucked the children in. He actually had fun today, except for the constant scratching he did. Xani closed his tent, using a force 'lock' to prevent anymore sleep overs, and examined his spotted body. The rash was now on his arms and legs, the itching becoming unbearable. A couple places on his stomach and sides were raw and bleeding.

Xani cursed as he laid down, the welts felt prickly and had a sting to them. He slipped into a light trance, hoping to use the force to help him with the allergy.


	3. Camp Whoopass Chapter Three

Xani moaned, rolling over to his body aching and protesting every movement. Through semi-consciousness, he heard whispering and slowly opened his eyes to see three of the kids hovering over him.

Xani shot upright, yelling, "How in the name of Sith did you get in here?"

"We heard you crying and came in to see if you were ok. It was hard to get in the door, but we managed to get in." One of the children explained.

Xani looked towards the door hatch on his tent and saw it torn on one side. The seams were ripped, looking like they were stretched over something large until they popped, then the excess slack sagged to the ground. 

Xani groaned again, falling back on his pillow and putting his arm over his eyes. He sighed heavily, "I'll get blamed for this too, I just know it."

"No you wont. We will tell the masters that we had to come and check on you. It was the only way in."

Xani uncovered his eyes, rising up and frowning at the children. "What are you talking about? You 'had' to check on me? And what do you mean by I was crying?"

"You were moaning and we could hear you crying. When we got in here, we found you sick. We've been taking care of you while you got better."

"Sick?" Xani thought for a moment, remembering the sickening feeling he went to sleep with, then looked down at his still speckled body.

"Arna is going to be a healer, so he helped us care for you. He told us what to do and how to use the force to help you heal. He said you were fevered and having a reaction to something." One of the kids explained.

Xani noticed that the itching was gone from his welts, though they still dominated his skin. "It feels a lot better. Thank you all. Where is Arna so I can thank him?"

"He should be back from getting some berries for the evening meal." One of the children said thoughtfully.

"WHAT?" Xani shot up off his pillow again. "How long was I asleep?"

"You've been sick all day. Arna told us that the force would help you to sleep while you healed. He was right. Your fever is gone and you're now better." The child beamed proudly.

Xani began to swear in several languages and threw off his blankets. He stumbled around, grabbing his change of clothes and yelled at the children to get out and give him some privacy.

When Xani emerged from the tent, he yelled for everyone to hear him. "Thank you for helping me today. I feel much better now. However, we're now way behind schedule, so we'll have to stay up tonight to make up for the loss of a day."

Fourteen sets of sad eyes looked at their Padawan Counselor. Whimpering started, followed by a chorus of 'But I'm soo tired.' "But we are sleepy" "I want to go home now" 'We aren't good at this and want to go back to the Temple."

Xani rolled his eyes, 'But you already passed a lot of the criteria and guidelines that was set for you. You all earned you 'Safety and First Aid' honors for helping me while I was sick. You only have a couple more things left and you're done and we ALL can go home."

The kids perked up and shouted with happiness.

Xani calmed everyone down and thought about the next things on the list for his group to do. _Use the force to guide you through unknown territory. Co-operation with others. Learning to listen to the force in its natural state._

Xani figured out a plan and started telling his troop. 'After we eat, we are going to pack up our tents and hike back to our cabin."

"How? We don't know the way back!" A small Calamarian girl interrupted. 

"Each one of you will be in charge of using the force and leading us back home." Xani smiled smugly, realizing that half of the kids weren't skilled enough to use the force on that level. "Come on. Let's eat and then get these tents packed up so we can start our new adventure."

The sun was barely peeking over the hills when the group finished off their meal and had their tents packed. Occasionally a whimper of protest or a cry of exhaustion would find its way to Xani's ear to which he ignored and pushed everyone to head out for their long trek.

The children followed obediently behind Xani, unknowingly going in the wrong direction.

Xani congratulated himself on his cleverness. Intentionally going the wrong direction and making the kids use the force to find their way home. A part of him didn't want to stray them too far off course. He was thankful the itching and bleeding had stopped, but was unhappy with the bright red welts that still marred his body, and he still held a grudge for the eaten sweets and rations. His mind constantly fought the battle between revenge and compassion.

"Okay. Whose first to lead us home?" Xani asked.

The kids were tired, laden down with packs, eyes drooping, shoulders slumped. They all groaned and sighed, no one volunteering for the assignment.

"Fine. We'll start with the youngest and work our way to the oldest." Xani pointed to a small humanoid male around 4 or 5 standard years old. "Concentrate hard and let the force guide you. Trust your instincts."

The child nodded and closed his eyes, willing the force to aid him. He opened his eyes and pointed in a direction and the group started moving over the rough terrain.

After an hour of stumbling over increasingly rocky ground, Xani appointed a new leader to the group, who started them on a trek in another direction.

Xani kept a constant connection to the force, focusing on their camp and their direction.

Hour by hour passed in the night. The group moved slowly, unknowingly circling their camp site they had started from.

When the sun peek over the horizon in the early morning hours, the troop was nearly falling asleep on their feet. A couple of the smaller children had fell behind a good distance away. Whimpers could be heard, some louder than others. Fatigue was setting in full force and causing the kids to get cranky and moody.

Xani called for a break, telling the kids to rest while he looked for food. All the kids agreed, dumping their heavy packs onto the ground with a dull thud. Bodies soon followed, weighing heavily down on the ground and relishing the break. Bones hurt, legs ached, muscles were starting to stiffen from over exertion. 

Xani came back from collecting some berries and found his entire group passed out. He frowned with a sigh, then sat down and munched on the berries as the morning sun blurred from overcast clouds. 

After Xani had eaten his fill, he stretched out, propping his head up on his pack and drifting off into a lazy slumber.

A few hours later, Xani woke with a start. The force was swirling around him, sending him senses of dread and warning. He sat up and looked around, counting each sleeping body. All of his kids were accounted for, most piled on top of one another for warmth as the sun already settled on the horizon, though still partially concealed through large puffy clouds. Xanatos could tell that the clouds weren't storm clouds and that they would be safe from rain. 

'_So what is the force trying to warm me of?'_ Xani wondered.

Xani clapped his hands, yanking on legs, arms and rousting up his sleepy bunch. In case there was an emergency, he wanted all of the children alert and ready for whatever was threatening. 

Mumbled protests and cries began to sound throughout the makeshift camp. Sleepy children rubbed their eyes and pouted, fretting over their rude awakening.

When everyone was awake, Xani instructed them. "When you're more awake, we'll start out towards camp again. I'll going to go and get us something to eat. Stay here and no one wonder off. BE alert and wary while I'm gone."

Everyone agreed and sleepily rose up and tried to remain awake while Xani foraged for food. Some of the children had fallen back asleep and were caroused awake by their fellow campers.

Xani grumbled about feeding the kids, figuring they would be sound asleep again by the time he returned. He found a large patch of berries and began using the force to harvest the berries and fill his out stretched shirt.

The force swirled around him, alerting him to danger. The hairs on the back of his neck rose up and a streak of adrenaline coursed through him. Xani remained motionless, searching the force for a cause of the distraction.

A large bee, the size of Xanatos' palm, shot out from the brush, buzzing in a deafening tone. The bees' hum echoed in Xani's ear as it flew past, causing him to flinch at the expectant impact.

Xani heard the buzz recede and opened his eyes in relief. He exhaled deeply and focused on the force again to obtain some berries.

The force tingled along his senses still, then surged suddenly, giving Xani ample warning as a large, sharp clawed, paw emerged from the thicket, swiping at a laden down branch.

Xani gulped and took a step back, hoping that whatever that was attached to the paw on the other end, wouldn't see him as a threat and would leave him alone.

Xani took another step back, and accidentally shattered a stick. The crackle broke the relative silence and alerted the intruder of Xani's presence. 

A large, black Tangarian bear rose up on its hind legs, easily exceeding 9 feet in height. Its broad head was accented by a mouthful of razor sharp teeth, black beady eyes, and large ears that picked up the slightest noise.

The bear raised one of its massive paws to its face, using a 2 inch claw to scratch at its face.

Xani couldn't breathe. He stood perfectly still, hoping the bear wouldn't pay him any attention. His heart pounded in his ears, adrenaline filled his blood as his heart hammed in anticipation, his palms were sweaty, and perspiration dampened his forehead.

The bears' nose twitched, picking up the smell of fresh, ripe berries and brought its massive head down to stare at the source of the delicious smell.

The bear licked its lips as its site centered on Xani. It dropped down on all fours and pushed its way through the thorny thicket.

The berries went flying as Xani screamed in a high pitched, deafening sound, then ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran back towards camp, screaming at the top of his lungs that there was a bear chasing after him. A rational part of his mind realized that the children couldn't do anything about the bear and that he would endanger them if he showed the bear their camp site.

Before he knew it, Xani was running through the middle of the camp, the bear hot on his heels. The older children protected the younger ones, watching as their leader sprinted through the camp.

Xani ran as hard and as fast as he ever had in his life. He could feel the bear still bent on catching him and imagined the bears' breath on his neck, allowing him to kick into a higher gear and speed up. Xani rounded a path, then realized he was at a deep lagoon with a high waterfall cascading down and raining a fine mist over the area.

With a force boost, Xani jumped out from the bank and landed perfectly on a rock near the middle of the pond. The spray from the falls mussed his body, covering him in a fine mist that began to wash away his scent and make it difficult for the bear to track him.

Xani remained motionless on the rock, letting the water spray all over him. His icy blue eyes watched the bear move curiously on the embankment, pacing and sniffing the air for its prey. The bear wandered into the water a bit, then rose up on its haunches and continued its search.

After several minutes, the bear gave up, growling as it stalked off into the wilderness. Its grumbles and muffled roars grew distant as it searched out for new food.

Xani sat down heavily on the rock, sighing and wanting to collapse right on the spot. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, bringing the over-exerted padawan down into a sense of exhaustion. Taking several deep breaths and then focusing on the force to sense for danger, Xani slid off the rock and splashed into the cool water.

The water was deceiving in its depths as Xanatos sunk into the cool water well over his head. He surfaced, cursed and began to swim back to shore, mumbling a variety of colorful metaphors at the bear, the camp, the children, his master, anyone else he thought was responsible for making him participate in this exercise. 

Hauling himself out onto the shore, Xani made his way back towards the camp. He found a patch of unoccupied berries and loaded up his shirt once again. 

All of this wouldn't have had to happen had he not allowed his pride to get in the way. He hated the idea that all of this came about in spite of his efforts, or lack thereof. If he had only allowed his master to win the saber battle, and NOT have injured him, he wouldn't have gotten lassoed into camp duty.

__

"Oh the Force can be wicked in its ways' Xani thought to himself.

The children greeted their soaked leader and converged on him, asking questions and making short work of the berries. Xani answered their questions, indulging it about his cunning and style, and telling the children that the bear gave up because it was outmatched. The children absorbed the tale, and the lies, awing over their leader's abilities and instincts.

"Do you think I could ever be as good as you, Xanatos?" Ben asked as they were preparing to head out into the wilderness again.

"I don't know Ben. I'm very good and it would be difficult to compare my prowess to others." Xani sneered, following behind the newly appointed leader of the group to lead them home.

The children tagged along side Xani, asking questions and every once in a while, appointing a new leader to put them on the trek home. Xani indulged their imaginations and quickly built himself up into a wild flight of fantasy about his skills and wits.

After walking through most of the night, one of the elder children was leading the kids through the woods. Xani kept a constant connection to the camp site and snickered to himself as the group trudged through the wilderness, going in circles.

When everyone had led the group and then realized they were lost, fourteen sets of eyes focused on Xani, questioningly and sad.

Xani sighed and rolled his eyes, though the night had concealed his exasperation. "I guess its safe to say that we would never get home by using the force alone. Thank the force we weren't dropped off and left to rely on your wits to get us to safety."  


Ben frowned, then spoke up, "I think we should go this way." He pointed off to the left, a determined look in his eyes.

Xani looked Ben up and down and felt the force coming off the youth in waves. Xani grinned and nodded, "Then let's get going." Xani watched and used his senses to monitor Ben, feeling the deep connection to the force the child was emitting and using to guide him.

Ben manipulated the force, surprising himself and his padawan leader. As they were walking, he would point and redirect the group, keeping them on track.

Xani felt himself fill with pride, though he didn't know why. He didn't even like kids, let alone feel a connection to one and feel such joy when the child succeeded. Xani frowned in the darkness, following silently along with his troop.

Morning began to approach, the sun started to peek over the distant horizon, the light battling away the darkness that covered the land. Xani knew they were close, and wondered why they hadn't stumbled onto the camp yet.

One of the other kids squealed, pointing a short distance away. "I see it! There it is!! We're home!!"

The other children yelled in excitement and hurried their pace over the terrain, some running as fast as they could. The made a mad dash for their cabin and scrambled inside, up the stairs, and plopped unceremoniously down onto their sleepcouches. 

When Xani entered their cabin, he used the force to determine that most of the kids were already passed out on their beds. Only Ben had stayed behind, walking with Xani and asking the leader if he was feeling better from his sickness. Xani felt a pang of remorse, knowing the child was compassionate and tender hearted and Xani had acted callous towards him and the others.

He made a silent vow to not be so grouchy towards his charges and smiled at Ben, even went so far as to playfully tease him. Xani made a mental note to forget about the stolen rations and snacks and focus on teaching his kids all he could and make sure they be the best at camp. He was going to be the BEST padawan counselor ever and would make sure his children learned as much as they possibly could.

Ben yawned and excused himself, and slowly made his way upstairs to fall asleep. Xani bid the child good night and crawled into his own warm bed. He pulled the blankets up over his head and fell soundly asleep, his mind drifting off into a pleasant slumber.

Outside, the camp started to wake up and prepare for the day. Unknowingly to Xani and his kids, the camp had other plans for the group.


	4. Camp Whoopass Chapter Four

Xani was unconscious long before he heard the whisperings and giggling outside of the cabin. He slept soundly, finding it easy to sleep after being up all night and wandering around through the woods for the past two days, or was it three? Time slipped by and days ran together for the sleeping group.

The cabin door opened and two figures crept inside. They slinked over to Xani, surmising he was sound asleep, and tip toed upstairs to peek at the sleeping children. Every child was fast asleep on top of their sleep couches, the blankets weren't even bothered to be turned down by the exhausted children.

The two figures whispered to each other, then slipped back down stairs and outside. The two figures met up with at least a dozen more and whispers softly filled the air.

The troop disbanded, then gathered again, each one armed with a small container. They crept silently up into the cabin, two went to Xani's bed, the others went quietly upstairs and positioned themselves beside a child. On a mental countdown, all of the figures released the containers filled with ice water onto the slumbering forms.

Screams filled the air as the children got the wake up call. Xani yelled, then rose up and struck the first person he seen, landing a hard punch to a jaw, knocking the person to the ground with a loud _THUD_. He jumped up, positioning himself to attack the other by his bed, when he heard the kids come running down the stairs.

Some of the kids were crying, holding up their arms to show that they were soaked with the freezing water. Xani glanced his kids over, then glared at the person by his bed that was still standing.

Water dripped from Xani's drenched hair, flattening it to his face, and giving him a somewhat weathered look. He clenched his teeth and flexed his hands into fists. His eyes glared menacingly at the lone occupant that was the center of his scrutiny. His lip curled up in an evil sneer and he took several deep breaths.

The person that stood at the side of Xani's bed was a fellow Padawan Counselor and he held up his hands defensively, "Hey, it was just a joke. Everyone does it to the ones who sleep in. Don't get so upset over it."

Xani glared down the other counselor, then heard the second rise up from the floor, clutching his chin and groaning low in his throat. Xani's voice was low and dangerous, "If you ever come in here again, I will make sure you leave here on your back. Do I make myself clear?"

The other counselor stuttered in surprise, "But it was only a joke."

Xani glared at him, then pointed to his soaked crying kids that stood by the bottom of the stairs, "Here is a rule for you. You upset my kids, I hurt you. If you try to get out of it, you'll only make the punishment that much worse. Now get the hell out of here so we can sleep, or I'll make it to where you won't walk at all!"

The counselor blinked in shock, then shook his head, "I understand. Sorry about this. But we were told that today is the day when everyone is supposed to participate in the force exercises. The head master told me to get you up and tell you to get ready."

Xani sighed and ran his hand through his tangled soaked hair. "Tell the head master that we spent the night finding out way back here and we're too tired to come and play in some silly game. Now, get lost!"

The other counselor helped his still groggy comrade to his feet and ushered him out the door. A few seconds later, their kids followed them out the door, one or two sporting black eyes of their own.

Xani looked over his soggy kids and sighed, "Get changed and then you can go back to bed."

The kids whimpered and climbed the stairs in obedience. All they wanted to do was to pass out for a very long time and NEVER see the woods again. They mumbled their dislike on the way to their sleepcouches, then noticed that their beds were soaked with water. They soon heard Xani realizing his bed was wet to, when a grumbling curse echoed its way up to them.

"Find some dry blankets and everyone sleep on the floor." Xani called up.

The kids groaned that now they were denied sleeping on soft beds. After everyone had their turn at changing in the refreshers, the kids were just settling down to sleep when there was a knock downstairs and Xani cursing as he answered the door.

Xani threw open the door to see a head master standing at his doorstep. "Hello Xanatos."

Xani ran his hands threw his hair, his agitation growing from lack of sleep. "What do you want?"

"I was informed that you and your children weren't going to participate in the force exercises." The head master started.

Xani yawned and looked sleepily at the master, "We spent all night looking for camp. We are too exhausted to play right now. Maybe later on tonight we'll be more willing, but right now, we just want to sleep. Now if you'll excuse me, I hear my floor calling."

The head master looked somewhat shocked and raised a questioning brow.

Xani sighed, "From that sith twit that dumped water on my bed. I now have to sleep on the hard floor."

"He is not a sith twit. He was only following my orders. And as for your attitude, PADAWAN, you will have a stern lecture in store for you." The head master put his hands on his hips.

Xani yawned again and shrugged, "Great. Now get lost so I can get some sleep or I'll be grumpy."

The head master's jaw clenched at the defiant teen and he rose his voice, "You will get your children ready and meet at the conference building as soon as possible. You _will_ participate in this event and you _will _watch your mouth when addressing a master! Now, Get ready and be prepared for a LONG lecture on protocol and procedures."

"Fine!" Xani snarled. "Then its your fault when everyone gets tired and fussing cause YOU won't let them sleep. And lecture all you want! I need a good nap myself!!" Then Xani slammed the door.

The head master stalked off away from the cabin and called into his comm link, "Reese, find out who Xanatos DuCruets' master is."

"Yes sir" came the reply over the comm.

Xani hated to, but he climbed the stairs and started to raise the kids up once again them from their slumber. "I'm sorry, but the head master said you don't get to sleep today. You have to do some stupid exercises instead of sleep."

The kids whined and groggily rose up and staggered downstairs. They left the cabin, some of them nearly in tears as their sleep deprived minds fought to remain conscious, and walked a good distance to the conference building.

Xani and his kids were the last ones to arrive and everyone else gave them evil stares, upset that they had to wait for the slow starters. 

"Now that we're all here.' One of the masters started, shooting a threatening glance at Xani. "We are going to play a little game in where we will blindfold you and you have to find your way around by using the force."

"We've done that already." One of the kids in Xani's group chimed in. "We weren't blindfolded though. We used the force to find our way out of the woods, so it was just like being blindfolded."

One of the others in Xani's group piped up, "Yeah, we've done this already. Can we go now?"

"No." The master stated flatly. "You have to do this where the masters can watch you and see if you need help developing these skills."

Ben chimed in, "Well, we already know that we need help with it. Are you going to teach us how to use the force so we can find our way around?"

"No." The master answered, starting to get impatient with the children in this group. "This is just an exercise to see if you need help. When you return to the temple, then you will be assigned a master to teach you what you need to know."

"GREAT!" Ben exclaimed. "Then we can go cause we have done this!"

"NO!" The master yelled. He took several deep breaths and calmed his rage down and continued, "You will also identify plants and animals and will learn all about.." The master stopped as Xani started to get up and lead his kids outside. "Just where are you going Padawan DuCruet?"

Xani looked at the master like he was the dumbest creature on planet and pointed, "We're going to go and finish what we were doing because we have already done this and its pointless to do it again."

"SIT DOWN" The master shouted. Another master went to his enraged comrade and quieted him down, and taking the masters place. 

The new master that was speaking was an older Ardonic male and said gently. "Padawan DuCruet, you and your children are required to do this with everyone else. If you refuse to participate, then you will be reprimanded and will not receive any credit for attending the camp. DO I make myself clear?"

Xani seen his kids looking sad that they might lose all their honors for accomplishing everything they already had. He sighed and shook his head, "Very well. Just make it fast. We're exhausted from being up all night and we would like to have some sleep before we become comatose."

The master bit back his growing anger and motioned for Xani and his kids to be seated once again. "You can drop the sarcasm padawan." He added after everyone had been seated. 

"Actually, I cant." Xanatos grinned, "I'm just a sarcastic person, so it comes naturally."

The master clenched his fists together in agitation. After several deep breaths, he started the explanation of what was expected of each child and signaled for the lights to be lowered as a projector started up and showed pictures of plant life on the planet.

One of the kids perked up when the pic of berries shown on the projector, "Look Xanatos! It's those good berries you found for us!!"

Xani jolted awake from his dozing and shook his head and smiled. 

"Yeah, but there isn't a bear in this picture." One of the kids joked.

The lights came up to full power and the head master stood directly in front of Xani, "You showed the kids a bear? Don't you know that is dangerous?"

"It was an accident. No one got hurt so drop it." Xani sighed.

"Its ok." One of the kids perked up. "Xanatos only showed us the bear cause it was chasing him through the woods. It was snarling and it went right through the camp, trying to eat him!! He led it away from us, so he didn't do anything dangerous. The bear didn't even pay us any attention and left us alone."

The head master had turned to the child as he explained what went on, then turned to Xani with a look of shock on his face. "You led a bear to camp? With small children?"

"Yeah." Xani shrugged. "I couldn't get him to follow me to a transport." Xani threw up his arms in fury, "It was chasing me and wanted to eat me for crying out loud! I just RAN! I didn't care where, I just didn't want to end up in its stomach!"

The master was about to smack the padawan, but another master pulled him away and ushered him to have a seat. The master standing in front of Xani was a tall human female and glared down at the apprentice.

"You are reckless! You are careless! You care nothing for people or consequences!" Xani opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with sharp reprimands. "You are a self centered, whiney ,spoiled apprentice who doesn't deserve his title or a master! You are a disgrace and I will make sure you NEVER come back to this camp EVER again!"

When the master was finished, Xani was furious. "What in the sith hells do you know anyway? I don't want to be a Jedi in the first place! I don't want to be at this stupid camp and I don't want to be around dumb ass children with the IQ of a pet rock! So shut up and leave me alone you devil spawn of a sith!"

The entire camp shushed at Xani's words. Some kids began to whimper, Xani's kids began to cry. Over 100 sets of eyes stared at the fuming padawan, each one showing sorrow, pain, and heart break.

Xani heard one of his kids whisper, "We love you. We took care of you when you got sick and you let us stay with you when we were scared."

"And you fed us and took us swimming and showed us the bear." Another soft voice added, choked by tears.

"Don't you love us to?" Little Ben looked up at Xani with his soft blue eyes filled with tears.

Xani felt his rage disappear immediately upon looking at the sad faces. He sighed and remembered all the fun he had, even when they got on his nerves. He ran his hand through his hair and said, "Yeah, I guess I do. Sometimes I just get upset and say things that I don't really mean because they were said in the heat of the moment. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You have been excellent kids to take care of. I'm sorry I have been so distant. Do you forgive me?"

The kids looked at one another and exchanged shrugs. Tears still poured down little faces and sniffles could be heard. 

Ben reached out his arms and hugged Xani's leg, "Its ok Xanatos. Everyone feels bad sometimes."

One by one the kids hugged their leader, some still crying. Xani would wipe off cheeks and smile, hugging each one of his kids back.

The masters and other children remained quiet, watching the scene. The female master that jumped Xani's case interrupter the exchanges still going on. "Padawan DuCruet, what did the child mean by you were sick?"

Xani looked back to the master and shrugged, 'I guess it was an allergic reaction to something. I got these spots," Xani lifted his shirt to show his bright red welts, "And they bled for a bit and I had a high fever. But the kids practiced some first aide and now I'm fine."

The master quickly went to Xani and lifted his shirt again to get a better look at his spots. She touched one and asked, 'Did you eat anything other than berries while out in the forest?"

Xani frowned, "Only berries and some soup from some roots."

"And that fuzzy animal you ate." Ben added.

"Oh yeah." Xani smiled at Ben. "I ate that the first night we were out there."

"Padawan DuCruet, all animals here are highly poisonous. These red welts are only one sign of the toxin. Its accompanied by fever, hallucinations, uncontrollable emotional states, bleeding and a huge list of other effects. You have to get to the infirmary as soon as possible!"

Xani's eyes went wide as the master went over the list of reactions to the small animal. He hurried to the medical area and was immediately admitted and hooked up to several machines.

The healer informed Xani that the kids did a wonderful job to healing up some of the toxins effects, but his system was still infected and would take intense therapy over several days to fully cure him.

Xani noticed his itching started to bother him again and he dug at his welts until they started to bleed. A healer entered Xani's room carrying several long needles, filled with all kinds of liquids. 

Xani shook his head, "I don't like needles. I can't stand to watch them come near my skin!! Keep them away from me!"

"Padawan DuCruet, you need these anti-toxins or you will get worse. Besides, these needles only go in your backside, you won't be able to see them coming at you."

"If you think that I'll let you stab me in the ass with those, you are sadly mistaken!" Xani yelled, then suddenly felt hot and sweaty. His breathing labored as he tried to use the force to calm himself down. The force wasn't accessible to the distraught padawan and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. "Damn' Xani mumbled before he passed out.

The healers kept a close monitor over Xani, and contacted his master of the mishap. He explained to the now pacing master that Xani would be ok, but it would take some time to get the toxin out of his system and build up his strength.

"I assure you Master Jinn, your apprentice will recover fully. It will take him a couple more days to regain his strength and be back to his normal self." The healer smiled.

Qui-Gon frowned, "I'd rather have him here so I can attend him."

"I'm sorry, but there isn't transports coming here for a few days, and by the time one would get here, it would be the end of camp." The healer explained. "Not to worry Master Jinn. Xanatos will be fine and will get something out of this excursion. He will bring something back from this trip, you'll see."

Qui-Gon sighed, "I think he has done that already."

The healer smiled and signed off. He went in and checked on Xani, noting that the welts were much smaller and that Xani was already well on the road to recovery. He injected Xani with another anti-toxin, mixed with a slight sedative, and left the unconscious padawan to his dreams.

Xani's kids were assigned another padawan counselor, though they protested and fought the masters wishes. They argued to stay by Xani's side and eventually lost the battle to do so. The kids piled into Xani's room during the visiting hours and took turns hugging him and telling him how well they were behaving. They were proud about keeping their cabin neat and told Xani that the masters were impressed with their abilities and the things they accomplished so far.

Xani remained in the infirmary for another day, though he insisted he felt fine. After putting up with Xani's whining, the healers agreed to let Xani out of the infirmary for the closing ceremonies, where the kids received their honors and praise for everything they accomplished.

Xani sat in the front row, and applauded loudly as his kids each received the congratulations and accepted their awards. The kids turned and waved at their ailing counselor, then took their seats by the replacement counselor. 

After the ceremony, Xani slowly made his way over to the new counselor. She was a tall, dark skinned padawan, around Xani's age. Xani approached her, slightly bowing his head and smiling his most flirtatious grin. "Thank you for taking care of my kids."

The other counselor smiled back, blushing slightly, "Think nothing of it. I was happy to help out. Besides, they are wonderful children. They told me all about you."

Xani looked over at the kids and winked, then turned back to the other counselor, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

"I would love to. By the way, my name is Ryne." She smiled and linked arms with Xani and walked towards the door.

Xani's kids started giggling and some started singing about how Xani was in love and how he was getting mushy. Xani frowned at them, causing them to only raise their voices and be joined by their fellow initiates in teasing Xani.

Xani hurried out of the noisy room and escorted his new lady friend around, going slowly because of his waning strength. Xani assured his companion he was fine and that they should linger to enjoy the day.

By the end of the evening, Xani and Ryne were really smitten with each other. Xani went to the infirmary for a check up and another vaccination, then helped his new girlfriend in getting the kids packed for the return trip the next day. After all the kids were packed, Xani helped tuck them all in and followed the other counselor down the stairs.

Xani settled down on the small sleep couch, pulling Ryne up against him. They talked quietly, hoping to avoid waking the children upstairs. The two were so engrossed with each other, then didn't notice the crowd forming on the stairs. When the two had passed the kissing stage, a loud '_Ewwww Gross!' _snapped the two out of their enchantment with each other and jumped apart, yelling for the kids to get to bed.

After everything settled down, Xani was non-too-gently ushered out the door. He headed back to the infirmary and received his last injection, which quickly put him out for night.

The next morning Xani tried to talk Ryne into seeing them off, but she insisted she had work to do and that she would only miss them that much more. Xani waited until all the kids were gone, then gave Ryne one last kiss and told her that he would write to her when he got back. Ryne smiled and ushered the padawan out the door and waved goodbye to the kids as they sped off.

The group met their transport and settled in as the engines warmed up and the ship lifted off the ground, leaving behind the planet that gave them all quite an adventure. Xani sighed, staring sadly out the viewport, missing his girlfriend already. The kids easily picked up on Xani's heartache and started to make kissie faces at him and talk in 'lovey dovey mushy talk'. Xani rolled his eyes and teased the kids back, careful not to over exert himself from his recent sickness.

When the transport landed, the kids flew out the door, squealing upon seeing the crèche master. Xani saw Qui-Gon standing off to the side, watching the frenzied joy and every child viaing for storytelling time.

Xani went to his master, his face all drawn and bewildered. "Well Master. I survived prison. Did you inform the healers of my immediate admission to begin extensive therapy?"

Qui-Gon gave his padawan a wry smile and motioned for him to follow, "I believe the healers informed ME that you will be required to stop by every day for a check up for the next month. You may have a relapse from eating that poisonous animal."

Xanatos sighed as he dragged his travel pack, "I didn't know it was poisonous. If I would have known, I wouldn't have eaten it. I thought the berries were poisonous, that's why I didn't eat them." Xani scratched at his back with a frown.

"So, you gave food that you wasn't sure was poison to kids and you ate what you thought was safe?"

"Yes Master. I guess so." Xani scratched at his growling stomach.

"I think you deserved what you got. That was a cruel thing to do Xanatos. Those kids could have died because of your ignorance. I hope you learned a lesson from this." Qui-Gon scolded sternly.

Xani shrugged, "Yeah I did Master. Next time, I'm going to read that book to see what all is poison and what is safe."

"Next time?" Qui-Gon perked his brow at his apprentice in amusement. "I thought you hated doing this and would rather die that do it again?"

"That's before I met Ryne." Xani smiled and drifted off into a dream state.

Qui-Gon frowned in concern, then asked, "Is she about your height, thin, dark colored skin, soft brown eyes, and a intoxicating floral scent?"

Xani's eyes grew wide and he nearly jumped up and down with excitement. " That's her!! She helped take care of my kids while I was sick! She's the most gorgeous, wonderful, sensual…."

Qui-Gon interrupted his apprentice by adding, "And also a myth."

Xani stopped and glared at his master, 'What? She cant be. I felt her. Touched her. I even kissed her. I would have known is she wasn't real."

Qui-Gon smiled, "I have met her Xanatos. When I was a padawan counselor, I too fell for her. But according to the camp legend, she isn't real. She is a myth from the ancient tribe that inhabited that area millennia ago. She is there to watch over people and guide them. The counselors have known of her and know the camp will remain a safe place as long as she is there to guard and guide."

"But, I wasn't lost. Neither were my kids. We were safe and at camp." Xani shook his head in disbelievement. 

Qui-Gon stopped right outside their door, "Are you so sure padawan? Maybe you were lost, you just didn't know it."

Xani looked up at his master, then down at the floor and frowned. "I guess maybe I was a bit lost."

Qui-Gon opened the door and directed his padawan to his room, "Let's just hope that you found what you were looking for. Now, you have had a long trip and need rest. Afterall, you are still recovering from that nasty poison."

Xani dumped his pack by his door and crawled into his welcoming bed. "Yes master. No arguments here."

"Good little padawan." Qui-Gon said gently as Xani curled up under his blankets. He cracked the door, just in case Xani would need him, and went to the comm terminal in the corner and started a search about the myths that surrounded Delv 6.

Xanatos was asleep for several hours, when an irritating itch brought him out of his slumber. He scratched at his backside, hoping that the itching would soon stop. Xani stopped scratching long enough to realize that the itching would not go away and felt even worse when he stopped digging at his skin. Xani rose up out of bed and yelled for his master. "Master!! Master make it stop!!!"

Qui-Gon rushed, half asleep, into Xani's room and nearly fell through the door. "What? What's going on? Xani, you ok?"

Xani was scratching hard at his lower back, "Master, it wont stop itching!! Make it stop!!!"

Qui-Gon lifted the back of Xani's shirt and stifled a laugh, 'Let's get you to the healers."

"What? Is the toxin back again? I thought it was out of my system!!" Xani fumed as he rose and was helped out the door by his master.

"Oh, the toxin is gone, that's for sure. But as before, in your haste, you didn't read that book about what all was safe and what wasn't. You must have slept or put your back against something covered in poison miphac."

"What?"

"It's a small plant, covered with a thin film that causes red watery welts and they itch really bad. The book explained it all."

"Not funny master. Trust me, my lesson is learned. Quit rubbing it in"

"That's the whole fun of it padawan." Qui-Gon smiled as they arrived at the healers.

Several healers converged on the scratching apprentice and took him into one of the exam rooms. After a few minutes, they filed out and one remained behind to explain the prognosis to Qui-Gon.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting Master Jinn, but we had to get him calmed down and then give him several injections. You know what he's like around needles."

Qui-gon rolled his eyes and sighed. "How bad is it?"

The healer grinned, "I take it you didn't tell Xanatos to pack any toiletries with him for the camping trip?"

Qui-Gon shook his head NO, then realization dawned on him. "You mean…"

"Yes." The healer admitted with a grin. "His backside is completely covered in welts and we've had to inject him several times to help alleviate the swelling and itching. He will be here for a couple days. At least until the swelling goes down and the itching subsides."

"Can I see him?"

"Go on in. He will be groggy from all the medication we had to give him."

Qui-Gon went into Xani's room and nearly burst out laughing. Xani was laying face down on the med table, stripped down except for a light sheet pulled up half way up his back.

Qui-Gon sat down in a chair beside Xani's bed and patted his arm. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

Xani opened his eyes and stared at his master, then started giggling like an idiot. 

"Xani? Xani, what's wrong? Why are you laughing?"

Xani giggled, then whispered, "I thought it couldn't get any worse, and the force surprised me! I thought all my itching was gone, but NOOOOO, the force gave me THIS!!" Xani pointed to his butt with a snarl.

"Xanatos, it takes the plant several days to infect your skin. You had no way of knowing. There are no indicators that you are infected, until you break out with the welts and itching." Qui-Gon tried to calm down his apprentice and make him feel some better. "The healers said you will only be in here for a couple of days, then you will be cured of everything."

"OH, that's a relief" Xani answered with his face buried against the bed. He rose up and looked over at his master with a sincere expression, "I promise that I will NEVER go on another camping trip, or be suckered into anything like that again. If they even THINK about it, I will find some of poison miphac and rub it all over their bodies!!"

Qui-Gon sighed, then furrowed his brow, "I think you haven't learned a lesson afterall. It wasn't everyone else's fault you got poisoned, then got these welts from the miphac bush. It was all YOUR fault Xanatos! YOU were the one that didn't want to read the manual, YOU were the one that thought you knew everything. As far as I'm concerned, you are getting exactly what you deserve for your arrogance!"

Xani frowned, mulling over his masters words. He didn't like it, but Qui-Gon made sense. If Xani had read over the books and listened to what the counselors advice, then he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament. 

"I'm sorry master. You're right. It was my own stupidity that caused this. And I have learned something from this. I have learned to pay more attention to what people tell me and remember that I DON'T know it all."

Qui-Gon regarded Xani for a minute then nodded. "Good Padawan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to report to the council and tell them that we won't be able to attend the Chancellors banquet this evening. I'm sure the Chancellor will understand."

"Good master." Xani said as he started to drift off. "And if he doesn't, tell him we can't go cause my ass is killing me."


End file.
